Chris de Burgh @ Clyde Auditorium

A one hit wonder probably better known these days for his philandering than his music, Chris de Burgh is a frustrating enigma. His stage presence reeks of smarm and his banter is rotten, as he smooches to the mainly menopausal crowd at a less than full Armadillo. This pandering to the blue rinse brigade is irritating because he's perfectly capable of belting out a decent rock song when the mood takes him. Opening with four or five quieter numbers, just him and his guitar, he wisely gets Lady in Red out of the way early, even if he does go walkabout through the audience while singing it. Once his band joins him on stage though, it's a different story, with some excellent numbers accompanied by thunderous drums and blazing electric guitar solos. With more like that, he'd maybe earn a better reputation. [Paul Greenwood]